Ishikawa returns to Japan for Casio

2011 Nov 23

The Japan Tour plays the Casio World Open this week at the Kochi Kuroshio Country Club in Kochi in Fukushima, the fourth of the main islands of Japan.

The event has quite a history dating back to 1981 when Lee Trevino was victorious and although it has struggled at times in its history it now lays claim to offering the equal richest purse on the Japan Golf Tour.

Ryo Ishikawa is back from his trials and tribulations at the Presidents Cup and will start as the favourite on the basis of his world ranking and his superstardom in Japan. Ishikawa took a while to find his feet in Melbourne but when he did he again displayed what a great young player he is.

Ishikawa and Ernie Els combined to win Saturday morning's Foursomes before he was given a rest by Norman but then on Sunday came out in the early matches to defeat Bubba Watson and at least create a little bit of excitement for the International supporters.

Ishikawa has regularly played well at this venue finishing runner-up two years ago to Koumei Oda. Oda is a two time winner of this event and is having yet another good season in Japan. He could go very close to winning this event for the third occasion.

With Brendan Jones representing Australia at the World Cup of golf in China and the Australian PGA Championship also on this week, only Chris Campbell, David Smail and Paul Sheehan are carrying Australasian hopes this week.

Smail is a two time winner of the event but he has struggled in Japan in recent times producing only one top ten in his last eighteen months on that tour.

The Japan Tour plays its last event before a two week break followed by another four week break when the Japan PGA Championship Nissin Cupnoodle Cup is played this week at the Hokkaido Classic Golf Club near Sapporo in the northern island of Hokkaido.